Tokyo taxis change their prices 東京のタクシー運賃変更

Good news for travelers to Tokyo: short trips in taxis have just become more affordable! The base price of a trip has been reduced to $3.60 (410 yen) for the first kilometer (1.052 km to be exact). The former base price was set at $6.30 (710 yen) for the first two kilometers. Overall, short distances will be cheaper. However, the cost of a longer 6.5 km distance has increased slightly, as passengers will now pay 70¢ (80 yen) for every 237 meters, compared with 80¢ (90 yen) for every 280 meters previously. This rate change affects the 23 districts of Tokyo, as well as two cities in the east of the capital, Musashino and Mitaka.

Promoting tourism

The reason for the change is to help facilitate travel around the huge metropolis, especially for tourists and the elderly. Significantly, these price rates are now displayed not only in Japanese, but also in English. The 2020 Olympic Games in three years time are also a way to help give a new image to Tokyo's taxis, which have always been deemed particularly expensive. Taxi companies in the city say they want to continue improving the quality of their service to attract more passengers.

See also: Our Activities in Tokyo